Changes in weight, body composition and physical fitness after 1.5 years at university.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: This study examined changes in Belgian students' weight, body composition and physical fitness after 1.5 years at university. Furthermore, this study investigated whether these changes differed by gender and weight status.

SUBJECTS/METHODS: In this longitudinal study, 172 students' weight, body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) were objectively measured, whereas fat%, fat mass, fat-free mass, dynamic leg strength, handgrip strength, hamstring flexibility and cardiorespiratory fitness were estimated using validated instruments. Measurements were conducted at the start of the first semester (T0), after the first semester (T1) and after 1.5 years (T2) at university.

RESULTS

Female students' weight and BMI did not change, whereas male students gained 2.7 kg of weight and showed a 0.7 kg/m(2) BMI increase after 1.5 years. After the first semester, an increase in fat% was observed in the total group of students, whereas this time effect did not remain significant when comparing T0 and T2. In contrast to females, increases in 2.1 kg of fat-free mass and 1.8 cm of WC were found in males after 1.5 years. Higher baseline BMI and WC predicted greater BMI and fat% increases in males. Handgrip strength improved for both sexes, whereas no changes in other physical fitness components were found across the 1.5-year period.

CONCLUSIONS

The greatest weight and BMI gains as well as unfavourable changes in body composition were found in male students with higher baseline BMI and WC. The observed changes in body composition did not cohere with changes in physical fitness.